BEREA: Defensive back Jabrill Peppers, drafted by the Browns with the 25th choice in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, is ready to leave the arguments associated with college rivalries behind.
If this were a rivalry at a Division III football level, no one would bat an eye. But Peppers went to “that school up north,” Ohio State’s archrival, Michigan. That rivalry burns bright among area football fans, but with a simple statement, Peppers is ready to move on.
“I’m not really worried about the Buckeyes. I’m happy to be a member of the Cleveland Browns organization,” he said. “I’m not really into all the little petty stuff. Never was.
“I’m just trying to have the best career I possibly can, be the best person and player I can be. And help this organization win ballgames.”
Given the way Michigan products such as wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back Leroy Hoard were treated when they had successes and the way center Steve Everitt endeared himself to Browns fans during the entire move-to-Baltimore fiasco, Peppers will be afforded every opportunity to succeed.
Peppers worked out with linebackers and defensive backs at the NFL combine and played linebacker for the Wolverines at the request of coaches last season, but Browns coach Hue Jackson sees him as a strong safety in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense. He last played safety in 2015.
“He can play both free and strong, but I think he’s been a lot better around the ball,” Jackson said. “It’s going to be really interesting just to see how Gregg uses him because Gregg’s had so many players like this with this kind of skill set before in his defense. It’s going to be exciting to watch.”
That excitement could extend to the special teams. Peppers averaged 14.8 yards per punt return and scored once for the Wolverines last year. On kickoffs, he averaged 26 yards per return.
Jackson recognizes Peppers’ versatility.
“Line him up in a lot of different places and give him that opportunity,” he said. “He is a football player, a very dynamic player. Obviously, he’s going to play defense for us, but we’ll find a role for him over there on offense. No question.”
Peppers, who scored five touchdowns on offense in his college career, said that he’s ready to get started.
“Whatever coach Jackson’s plan is for me, I’m going to attack 110 percent,” Peppers said, “so it’s definitely going to start with being a returner, being in the defensive backfield. He mentioned some offense to me as well, so we’ll see how that goes.”
Peppers’ draft status remained murky until the Browns picked him. The urine sample he provided for the scouting combine drug test came back diluted, meaning there was too much water in his sample. The NFL views such results as a fail, and it was unclear what effect it would have on his draft position.
“There was a lot of speculation on my dilute sample which is just that, dilute,” Peppers said of the result. “They know I’m a high character guy, don’t have any off-the-field issues, never failed a drug test in my life, never been arrested. If a dilute sample was my worst hiccup in my whole life, I’ll take that on the chin.”
Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown said the team considered that test result before choosing Peppers, and he understands that the issue has to be cleaned up.
“We will spend some time with him on that when he gets here,” Brown said. “Mostly, we are really excited to get a real exciting football player. We had gotten comfortable with the background on him to move forward with the selection.”
Peppers could use the Browns’ faith in him as motivation to succeed.
“[There’s] definitely a sense of gratitude just because they believed in me with all the negativity going on and believing in my play,” he said. “So, I’m definitely indebted into being the best person and player I can be and I promised coach Jackson I will do so.”
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.